Make Mine Raw Tonight: Tips For Making Sushi At Home
Sushi is a delicious meal or even snack on its own. Sushi is essentially cooled, boiled rice mixed with rice vinegar that is typically shaped into bite-sized pieces and topped with raw seafood. Sushi can also be formed into a long seaweed wrapped roll that contains strips of vegetables or raw fish and is then sliced into bite-sized pieces.
Before it became a worldwide favorite, you can only find sushi in Japanese restaurants specializing in this type of cuisine. Now, you can even find sushi in supermarkets.
Making sushi at home can be a worthwhile experiment for the die-hard sushi lover. You get to choose what goes in your sushi and you get to have your favorite treat anytime. You will need a bamboo rolling mat, a cutting board, a sharp knife and a large bowl.
The first step is to make the rice. You will want to use short grain or cal-rose rice. Instant rice and brown rice do not have a place in sushi. Rice should be slightly harder for sushi than other dishes, this does not mean undercooked, just not overcooked to the point of mushiness. You may also wish to rinse and drain your rice in a colander, which is optional. Once you have transferred the rice to a bowl, pour sushi vinegar over the top and mix. About one tablespoon of sushi vinegar per cup of cooked rice should do the trick. Mix well and cool. The rice mixture needs to be cooled before using to make sushi.
You can use this time to prepare the other things you will need. You can buy nori – the seaweed sheet used to wrap sushi – in specialty Asian groceries or the bigger supermarkets. Lay your bamboo mat and put one sheet of nori on top. You may want to put a plastic sheet in between the mat and the nori for cleanliness and easier cleanup after. Put a thin layer of rice over the seaweed and leave an inch exposed on the edges. Don’t put on a layer that is more than inch thick. You should still be able to see the seaweed wrap under the rice when you’re done with this step.
Next, arrange the filling near one edge. This will be the edge that you will start rolling. A California maki contains slices of avocado, crab meat, and cucumber. Some variations use slices of mango as the fruit. Place these on top of the rice and commence rolling. You don’t have to push down too strong to pack it all in. The rolling process plus the natural stickiness of the rice will take care of that. Fold the mat over carefully and tuck the nori in after. Apply even pressure as you slowly remove the plastic sheet as the nori and rice rolls around the filling. Once you reached the other end, the roll is done. Cut into anywhere from six to eight even pieces. Serve by standing them on end to show the colors inside.
Michelle really is a season article writer about home meals. She just simply loves expressing her good ideas and tips about creating slow cooker recipes or maybe crock pot chili.
